Ophelia Nichols, also known as Mama Tot, recently shared some emotional thoughts on the second anniversary of her son’s murder. In a heartfelt video on TikTok, she expressed how difficult the past two years have been without her son, Randon Lee. Nichols revealed that her son’s 21st birthday would have been the day after she posted the video, and she had been looking forward to celebrating it with him.
Nichols recounted how her family had a tradition of taking their children to the casino to celebrate their 21st birthdays, and she had been excited to continue that tradition with her youngest son. She expressed the pain of not hearing her son say “I love you, Mom” for two years and described the struggles of living through grief.
After Randon’s death, a GoFundMe was set up to help with funeral costs, and the donations far exceeded the goal. Nichols decided to use the excess funds to create a non-profit foundation in her son’s name. She wanted Randon’s legacy to be remembered and for people to know the kind of person he was – someone who did things his own way and had a unique sense of humor.
The foundation, called “Randon’s Way,” was launched on the second anniversary of Randon’s death. Nichols explained that the foundation’s main focus would be on youth mentorship and supporting parents in need. She chose the name and logo of the foundation with great care, incorporating elements that were meaningful to Randon, such as his favorite color and a tattoo he had.
In a tragic turn of events, Randon Lee was killed one day before his 19th birthday in 2022. Nichols made an emotional plea for information about his murder and eventually, an arrest was made in August 2022. Despite the arrest, Nichols expressed mixed emotions, recognizing the youth of the suspect and the complexity of the situation.
Through it all, Nichols remains committed to honoring her son’s memory and creating a positive impact through the foundation established in his name. She hopes that Randon’s legacy will live on through the work of the foundation and that his spirit of doing things his way will inspire and help others.